Reckless
by Almadynis Rayne
Summary: The universe abhors a vacuum. The Doctor thinks she's someone else, sent from the future to save the universe. She thinks he's a demon, sent to punish her for sins. [currently being rewritten]
1. Prologue

**Reckless**

AN: I only had a basic transcript for the _Doctor Who_ dialogue. All other details come from memory only.

AN2: This came from several ideas meshing together to form a coherent whole. It's going to be a little more disjointed in this first chapter until it all comes together. Bear with me.

AN3: This is an AU fanfic. I'm going to mess all to heck with canon. If you don't like such stories, please go read something else; this isn't the fic for you.

 **AN***:** Rewritten as of 1-13-18.

DISCLAIMER: Do I look like a millionaire to you? Of course it's not mine.

xxxxxxxxx

 **Prologue: Tilting Fate**

" _Nature abhors a vacuum." ~ Aristotle_

Rose walked out of the Tardis behind her boyfriend, who had practically darted out of the ship at a dead run and went over to Mickey. Whom had apparently decided that hiding behind a stack of wooden pallets would help in some way against intelligent plastic creatures and various aliens. The Doctor stayed in the doorway of the Tardis, watching the panicked reaction of the male and the calm, sure one of the female.

She was accosted as soon as she was within reach, the barely–out–of–teens boyfriend holding onto her legs for dear life. As if it would help prevent something horrible happening. She supposed that Mickey did have a valid reason to be afraid; he _was_ kidnapped after all. But still… Wasn't this a bit of an excessive response? She mentally shook her head at her boyfriend and turned to face the Doctor with a sarcastic expression and crossed arms. "Fat lot of good you were."

The Doctor grinned cheekily at her. "Nestene Consciousness?" He snapped his fingers. "Easy."

Rose snorted derisively at the man's neglect of the obvious. "You were useless in there," she reminded. "You'd be dead if it wasn't for me."

The Doctor's expression turned much more serious as he acknowledged that truth. "Yes, I would." He nodded at her, his eyes lit with gratitude. "Thank you." Then he took a deep breath as if to steady himself. Or make the abrupt change of topic more noticeable. "Right then! I'll be off. Unless…" he hesitated, as if unsure of her answer. Or skeptical that he should even offer. "Er… I don't know," he shrugged self–consciously, "you could come with me." Once he got the offer out, his tone became defensive. "This box isn't just a London hopper, you know. It goes anywhere in the universe! Free of charge."

Mickey, still clinging to her legs with desperation, practically yelled, "Don't! He's an alien! He's a –," he paused momentarily, as if hunting the correct word, "– a _thing_!"

The Doctor frowned sternly at the male. Honestly. The human was still alive, you'd think he'd be grateful! "He's _not_ invited." Then the Doctor's deep blue eyes refocused on Rose. "What do you think? You could stay here," he described persuasively, "fill your life with work and food and sleep, or you could go…anywhere." He smiled at her, happiness bright in his eyes. He liked this blonde and he always preferred having companions travel with him. It made things more interesting. Seeing the universe through their eyes.

The young woman bit the inside of her cheek as she thought of the possibilities he was offering her. It was so _tempting_! The adventure. The adrenaline. But… "Is it always this dangerous?" she asked after a second.

He nodded sharply. "Yeah." He wanted no doubts or confusion about that, what with the trouble he'd had with past companions.

Rose felt Mickey's grip on her legs increase again, almost to the point where she was worried about circulation. As much as she wanted to, that extra squeeze reminded her that she _did_ have responsibilities. "Yeah, I can't. I've… Er," she lamented. Her mental groan much heavier than in reality. "I've got to go and find my mum and someone's got to look after this stupid lump," she gestured to her boyfriend still kneeling on the tarmac. "So…" she shrugged helplessly in a 'what are you going to do' gesture.

"Okay." The Doctor mentally sighed. He had liked the blonde. She was intelligent, active, and cared about those around her. Maybe he would visit her again someday in a few years. See if she would travel with him then. "See you around." He stepped backward into his magnificent ship and closed the door. The Tardis dematerialised shortly thereafter.

The blonde took hold of her boyfriend's shoulder and urged him to his feet. "Come on, let's go." The pair turned to make their way to the mouth of the alley. "Come on. Come on." She shooed Mickey in front of her with a hand wave, even as she gave the dead end a last look over her shoulder. Almost as if she expected the ship to show back up.

Mickey suddenly yelled at her from the main street. "Come _on_! We got to go find your mum!"

Rose sighed. She had given up her chance to travel the stars. She had responsibilities. Family and loved ones that she had to look after. They needed her. She gave a decisive nod, to herself and the alley, and ran a bit to catch up.

xxxxxxxx

The universe _tilted._

xxxxxxxx

Arianna Carpenter had been dreaming, as she sometimes did, about the Doctor and his magnificent ship from her favorite show _Doctor Who_ , when her breathing became more and more harsh. In her dream, she began to cough without pause. It was enough that it woke her up…but the hacking didn't end.

She felt a brief sense of dread. Was she sick again? She didn't have time to be sick! It took a minute for understanding to dawn; that her vision was so grey because of _smoke_. Her coughing because of the smoke. The thin haze everywhere she looked was because the _house_ was on _fire_. The dread coalesced into horror.

Ari felt panic try to take over, but a single thought focused her mind into a razor–sharp tunnel. She mentally shoved every emotion she had to the side, stuffing them into a box as quickly as possible. She needed to concentrate on the single idea, neglecting everything else. _Have to get Robbie. Have to get out._ "Robbie!" she screamed into the void of silence that permeated their apartment.

Their parents had died long ago. Instead of expatriated into the foster care system, their grandfather had generously taken them in, despite his seventy–eight years. His kind smiles and calm words had helped forge the girls. Though Arianna had to become Robin's maternal influence almost from the beginning, since James Carpenter didn't know what to do with a crying female. It had been his only failing. Skinned knees and cooking became Ari's area. Baseball and fishing trips were Poppi's. They had collaborated for encouragement and ballet recitals.

He had died the year before, leaving Ari—almost twenty–three—to finish raising Robin—now barely ten. It wasn't that different from raising the pre–teen with him around… But it felt different. A large hole in both their souls that used to be filled with his gentle grins and even baritone advice.

Ari herself hadn't the luxury her sister did. A man of his times, his wife had taken up the role of housewife while he had been the provider. James was a wonderful grandfather, but when Ari had needed a mother, his quiet hugs had been all the comfort he knew how to give. To compensate, Arianna had become more introspective, keeping control of her feelings as best as she was able. It was also part of raising little Robbie, hiding that 'big sis' could be hurt. When her parents died, Ari took a few years, but eventually she acknowledged she didn't have the ability to indulge in strong emotion.

Long held maternal instincts kicked in to help in the current crisis. Instincts that were driving her to her sister's room at a dead run, mostly going by touch since her vision was so poor. It could have been thought as a dense fog if it weren't for the smell and the ensuing sporadic coughing. " _Robin_!" she yelled again. She hardly ever used her sister's real name. It was sure to get a response, if nothing else.

"Ari!" a sweet voice answered her calls urged the woman on. She finally reached her destination, charging into the pale–green flower and vines patterned room the little girl had painstakingly designed. The room's colors and patterns represented a whole summer of collaboration: memories, laughter, and paint wars. "Ari, where are you?"

"I've got you, sweetie." Ari replied just as her arms went around the petite brunette, who was shaking like a leaf while sitting up in bed, covers clutched in her lap. "We need to get out of here, Robbie. Remember the fire drills we did a few years ago?" Ari made sure to keep her voice soothing and even.

"No," her sister whimpered. The girl had always had a problem with stressful situations, tending to freeze instead of act. Though, to be fair, they hadn't encountered too many crises. Even fewer inside the ten–year–old's memory. "What do we do?"

Ari took control as she always did, shoving her emotions aside in favor of concentrating on her sister's needs. She smiled at Robin and helped the girl out of bed. As Ari reminded, she put little bunny slippers onto small feet. "We are going to check every door we come to for heat, because the fire could be behind it. We are going to go to the stairwell at the end of the hall as fast as we can, go down the steps, and then out to the parking lot. Okay? You ready?" She knew that Robin wasn't, but it didn't matter. They were on a timer.

Just because she could only see smoke and no flames, didn't mean that there was no fire. She knew what about flashovers; the fires that looked out but were only waiting on a surge of oxygen to explode outward. They had even made a movie about such things. _"Backdraft"_ had given her nightmares. Now, she was going to use the information gained to the best of her ability.

She was _not_ going to let the last of her family die!

"You're not wearing shoes," that small, scared voice said, looking at Ari's feet in deference to Robin's own covered.

Ari dismissed the comment with practiced ease. "That doesn't matter, Robbie. We need to leave."

"But your feet…"

"I'll be fine, okay?" Ari tried to reassure the girl she had practically raised. She took the girl's hand and they began to make their way to the bedroom door. "Don't worry about me,"

she smiled down at that little face. Her own desiderata were superfluous in comparison. With that last comment, the twenty–four year old lasered in on getting out of the burning building. _Have to get out._

Her hand stayed on the hall wall, guiding their steps. She thanked whatever deity watched out for them that Ari made it a habit of never turning on lights at night so as not to waken her sister. Ari had much practice in navigating their apartment in only the soft glow of the streetlamps; getting midnight snacks and bathroom trips. It helped her stay calm and focused even with the heavy grey permeating the air, becoming thicker with each passing minute.

It didn't take long to get to the main apartment door. Ari pulled herself and Robin to a stop so that she could check the door. Her heart plummeted even as her hand jerked away instinctively.

The fire was _right outside_.

"Okay, sweetie. We can't go this way. Remember the window in the living room next to the fire escape? Let's go that way." It was a struggle to keep her tone calm. _Have to get out._ Her sister needed her to stand steadfast in certainty. So that's what she'd do.

"I'm scared, Ari," came the quiet admission from her side.

The woman immediately knelt down to her sister's height to look into those blue eyes so similar to her own blue–purple. "I know, sweetie. But we'll get out. You just have to trust me. Okay? Have I ever lied to you?"

"No," Robin shook her head as she tried to push past her fear. Eager to make her sister proud. But this wasn't anything like doing her best in ballet or math! "But I'm scared," she confessed, looking at her bunny slippers. Shamed she had disappointed her big, brave sister.

"I know." Arianna gave the girl a small smile. "Tell you a secret…" little eyes widened, jerking up to meet her own at the words, "…I'm scared too. But I'm not going to leave you. I swear." Robin knew that Ari never swore or promised anything she wasn't absolutely certain she could do. She never broke her word and had instilled the same morals into her sister.

"…okay," was the eventual, tiny reply.

Ari grinned proudly. "Good girl. You are so brave." She kissed her sister's forehead and once again they made their way through the smoke, each coughing every few seconds; back down the hallway by feel alone. Hands clasped tightly together and not letting go for an instant. Into the main living area and turning at the first archway. The smoke was so thick they couldn't see the ceiling anymore. Just a mass of roiling grey.

Robin clung to her big sister's hand harder in fear as they saw that pieces of debris were blocking the fire escape. Falling chunks of the roof, still burning, clogging up the metal right up against the window. Making it impossible to open the pane, let alone get on the scaffolding. "Ari…"

Arianna swallowed at the sight, but was not going to be deterred. _Have to get out. I am NOT losing any more of my family!_ She knew time was running out if the roof had collapsed. So she pushed aside her rising panic, threatening to escape it's mental box; scooped up Robin, swung her around, and tucked the girl's legs around her waist in a hurried piggy–back ride. Something the pair hadn't done in a few years, but each's body remembered the motions needed. "Hold on tight, Robbie."

That little head tucked itself into the nape of her neck under her hair, one hand going around her shoulder and the other around her chest. "Ready."

Ari didn't waste another moment. Her arms held Robin's legs tight to her body as she made her way through the smoke, getting thicker and heavier every second, by memory. There was only one more possible exit; the building next to theirs was only five stories, where their apartment complex had ten. They lived in 6C. It wasn't ideal, given how far apart the buildings were, but Ari's only option left was to try and jump over. _Have to get Robbie out!_ Even if it meant tossing her sister across the intervening distance, Ari was going to save Robin. The way she hadn't been able to save their parents.

She shook her head slightly to release the age–old guilt. Into their grandfather's room they went, where neither had gone in over a year. Her heart ached at the sight of all Poppi's things. Clothes still laid out, ready to be worn. Pictures of her smiling parents by the bed. Another of the family of four, all laughing at a picnic in the park, framed on the wall. She froze in place as she felt the floor give under one foot and a loud groan from beneath. After a second of nothing, she tried to keep going. So close! _Have to get Robbie out!_ The window was clear; the far roof within jumping distance. Safety was so close!

Suddenly, the board gave under her weight and fell. It was all Arianna could do to stumble backward instead of down the now very large hole. The hole that was directly in front of the window. The hole that was blocking their last avenue of escape.

Safety within sight…but couldn't be further away.

Ari wanted to cry. To scream. Her eyes shut as her analytical mind ruled that survival was now impossible. Her heart clenched in her chest as she turned and went back to Robin's room with a heavy heart and silent steps. She wasn't going to give away her emotions. It would just make Robin panic, which wouldn't do any good. Only one thing left that Ari could do… Make her sister's last hour on Earth as happy and pleasant as she was able.

She laid her sister under the covers, helping her snuggle down as she did every night. "Skootch over rugrat." Arianna said fondly, tears in her eyes and clogging her voice, before getting in beside the ten–year–old that would never graduate high school, never marry, and never have kids of her own. She wasn't going to tell that little body anything, there was no point. So, instead, she began to sing a lullaby, just like she did every night, as she clutched Robin to her.

 _Burning pictures of the fallen years/ Distant memories that are filled with tears/ It doesn't matter if the dream appears/ The one that loses is filled with fears/ It doesn't matter if its sun or rain/ We'll be surfing through the silver plane/ After all that is said and done/ The two of us will always be one/ **_

"I love you, Robbie."

"Love you too, Ari." The sweet, sleepy voice answered, the nightly ritual soothing Robin despite the situation, the smoke, and the sounds. Ari gave thanks for small mercies. "Will you sing the firefly song?"

"Sure sweetie." She kissed that head of hair before she went again. Somehow, she was able to get through the songs, one after another, without coughing. _Fireflies_ by Owl City was Robin's favorite after the 'picture song'. She went through the list of favorites, _Loki's Song, The Owl and the Pussycat, The Song of the Shieldwall,_ and so on; her sister asleep anew in her arms, as tears streamed down her face at the inevitability of the situation. She curled up around her sister, her chest to Robin's. "I'm sorry," she whispered her failure to brown strands and to the heavens. "I'm so sorry." At least soon they would be able to see their parents once more.

Her eyes closed in dejected acceptance as a loud crash came to her ears, followed by a brief flash of pain, and then darkness eclipsed her. The ceiling finally failing completely, falling on the two girls. Just before the beam could hit, a bright golden light flared for a brief moment. In the split microsecond between the debris separation from its mooring and when it impacted, both figures on the bed vanished into the flash.

xxxxxxxxxxx

The TARDIS rematerialized into the alleyway, exactly where it had previously disappeared. The Doctor stuck his head out of the doorway, leaning sideways with a bright smile. "By the way, did I ment––" He cut himself off, his eyes widening in alarm. He darted out of his ship at a run, gathered the unconscious blonde into his arms, and hurried back into the ship, shutting the door behind him with a barely–thought twitch of his foot, his mind firmly centered on the injured woman.

"I was gone for less than a minute! Thirty–four seconds! What could have happened to you in thirty–four seconds?!" He griped in concern and worry as he raced to the infirmary. Unfortunately, as a Time Lord, he knew full well _exactly_ how important even one _nanosecond_ could be. He placed the girl on a bed and swung the Advanced Diagnostic Imaging Scanner to hover over her body. Immediately a three–dimensional image of the prone form overlaid her, then raised itself automatically. Waves of light extricated skin, muscle, tissue, and bone until all that was left were bright spots of red on the image, showing him where she was injured. Scrolling in midair above each area was the Gallifreyan circle–script, giving specifics on each ailment.

He frowned as he read. "Smoke inhalation? First and second degree burns?" How could Rose have possibly suffered such abuse in so little time? There were some minor cuts and abrasions as well, mostly on her hands and feet. Why was she going around barefoot? All of the damage was easily healed, but that wasn't the issue. His hands performed the necessary movements perfunctorily. Apply the salve to the burns. Oxygenated nasal hypospray for the lungs. Dermal regenerator for the scratches.

However, it wasn't her condition that was the problem. Or, not completely. If he didn't know any better, he'd have said the girl had been in a fire. But how was such possible? He had been gone only thirty–four seconds by Rose's viewpoint. He had triple–checked just in case because he hadn't known where she lived – though he could have found out. He had known exactly where and when she would be.

It had been several years for him. He had liked her quite a bit. He was lonely. It had occurred to him late one night, when he had once again been talking to thin air, that perhaps the only reason Rose hadn't traveled with him was because she had responsibilities. Loved ones that would miss her if she left for too long. Another few nights of constantly thinking about the blonde, going over all the conversations they had shared, cemented in his mind that he'd never _fully_ explained about his magnificent ship. That the TARDIS could travel in time as well as disappearing here and reappearing there.

Another few days of pondering. That the blonde had certainly been the adventurous sort. She'd acted well. Shown loyalty, bravery, and single–mindedness he admired. She had demonstrated a good heart and intelligence. Good deduction skills. And, most importantly… She was human. Young.

A young companion helped him so much. He hadn't realized until he didn't have one anymore. Energetic enough to keep up with him. But still saw the universe with new eyes. They could still see the wonder and majesty. He had lived so long…and with the War… He yanked his mind away from dwelling too much on such things.

So, he had calculated his destination precisely. Checking twice just to be sure. He _knew_ that he had arrived _exactly_ when he had intended. But the injuries she had sustained took minutes to achieve, not seconds.

Which left only one likely explanation: time travel.

To confirm his suspicions, he set the ADIS to calculate her measurements. This Rose was five foot three–point–seven–five inches tall. One hundred fifty–one–point–seven–three pounds. Twenty–four–point–one–three years old.

There it was. Rose had been barely out of her teens when last he saw her. Which meant he had taken Rose as a companion, something had happened, and he sent her back to when they had first started traveling, hoping to change things. Oh, he was toeing the Laws of Time with this stunt! What universe–altering disaster was he trying to avert? What could have possibly happened that _this_ – placing such an immeasurable burden upon a _child_ – was the only option?! She was obviously very important to him; for him to have given her so much responsibility. He trusted her implicitly. Or, he _would_ trust her implicitly.

Poor Rose.

He brushed away strands of flyaway hair that had been lighter, more blonde, the last time he had seen her. Now, he could see her auburn roots. She had scars he hadn't noticed. And were those freckles? He hadn't noticed the light dusting of them on her nose earlier either.

How close were they in her past? All the adventures and memories she would have that he wouldn't. The experiences that had helped shape her into the woman she now was versus the Rose he had left in the alley. How much heartache she would go through. Wanting things to be as they had been for her; where they had not yet become for him. This would be difficult… For both of them.

Taking a breath to steady himself, he reached out and flicked the switch that would waken the blonde. The next conversation would prove to be an interesting one. Hazy blue–purple eyes popped open, struggling to focus at all, let alone concentrate on him. "Easy. Easy." He gentled, helping her into a sitting position when he saw her try. "Go slow to start." He saw her eyes finally zero in on him and the eyebrows furrowed immediately. "It'll be a bit disorienting at first, Rose." He explained evenly. He knew the chances of this going well were remote. It depended on how much his future self had elucidated.

He watched as her eyes narrowed and a bright flame of intense anger flared deep within. Her voice, when it came, was barely more than a growl, "Don't you _dare_ call me that."

xxxxxxxxxxx

(Scene inspired by first verse of 'Burning House' by Cam)

**––main theme song from Hallmark movie "Snow Queen" (2002)

xxxxxxxxxxx


	2. Ch1: WTF

**Chapter One: Whiskey Tango Foxtrot**

 **Disclaimer:** If you recognize it, it's not mine. Ari is, though. All mine!

 **AN:** Lots of thanks to LovelyAmberLight for her encouragement, helpful insights, and not yelling at me for disturbing her yet again with another inane question or begging for advice.

 **AN***:** Rewritten 2-8-18

" _When you want to cuss, disguise it. Say 'son of a biscuit' instead. It distracts people from what you're really saying while they are trying to figure out if they really heard you say it. Or laughing at it. Either way, it'll take them at least five minutes to realize you said something you shouldn't've." ~ James Carpenter_

Rosemary Arianna Carpenter. Rose for short…at least for the first twelve years of her life. The car accident had changed so much. That one moment of inattention. All her fault. She wasn't _worthy_ to keep her much–loved 'Rose' after that. She insisted that she be called 'Ari' afterward. She never told anyone why; not the real reason. Only that she needed to separate her with–parents life from her without–parents life. As if the very fact that she didn't have parents anymore wasn't enough. But because she had stuck to her story, eventually people had accepted it.

They forgot that it was odd for a fifteen-year-old to make such claims. Forgot that grief can manifest in a myriad of ways. Forgot about survivor's guilt and PTSD. After all, she was a well–adjusted young woman. Doing the grown–up thing of helping raise her sister. She was responsible, helpful, patient, kind, and mature. They forgot that a fifteen–year–old, having just lost both her parents, shouldn't be any of those things. She should scream and cry. Be angry, belligerent, and distraught. Her entire world had been turned upside down. 'Normal' wasn't normal.

 _She_ never forgot. A promise made a decade before kept her at "Ari"… Because she had finally accepted that there wasn't anything she could do that would make up for killing her parents. She would never again be Rose. She kept telling herself that it was fine. That she had made her peace with such a fact. Yet the very act of doing so niggled the thought that she obviously hadn't made her peace, if she kept having to recall it. She ignored that particular niggle with intense ferocity.

And every time she heard someone call her Rose, all of those memories, guilt, and self–hatred flared again. "Don't you _dare_ call me that." She hissed through clenched teeth at the Eccleston–lookalike.

He immediately raised his hands in a non–threatening gesture. "I'm sorry. Having some boundaries, to help separate things, is a good idea. What would you like me to call you?" He kept his voice as gentle as he knew how, trying not to provoke her. She doubtless had been through some horrible things, though he likely would never know what they were, and would understandably be volatile.

"Ari. My name is Ari." She sighed the phrase as she couldn't keep up the anger. It wasn't his fault anyway. No one knew how much she hated the memories. She never told...not even Rob— Her eyes got wide as she frantically looked around. "Robbie! Where's Robbie?!"

The Doctor's hearts clenched sharply at the desperation he could hear in her voice. This Robbie was obviously dear to her, cherished. Robbie was most likely short for Robert. Her boyfriend? _Husband?_ He wondered about Mickey, but a lot could happen traveling with a Time Lord. And it had been five years for her. The possibilities were nearly limitless. "I'm sorry. There wasn't anyone with you that I saw." The alley had been deserted other than his ship and the collapsed form of the blonde when he had materialized. "I'm so sorry."

Blue–purple eyes narrowed, sparking protectiveness and love dangerously. "Show me," again her tone was almost a growl.

He wondered how often he would hear this new Rose's— _Ari's_ —emphasis. What had he done to the poor girl to turn that happy, fun–loving 19-year-old into... _this_? What _would_ he do? Or, perhaps, she was more like him than he thought? He nodded at her and gestured for her to follow him, since he didn't know if— _when?_ —she had ever been in his infirmary before. Mentally, he reorganized the room and corresponding hall to be closer to the control room.

Ari blinked as her brain began to seriously wake up from its unconscious, disoriented state. This was _way_ too odd. Christopher Eccleston in his Ninth Doctor garb, was leading her down a corridor that was obviously designed to look like the TARDIS. What was going on? Where was Robbie? Ari had been about to die! Burned alive or buried alive. Sister in her arms. So, if Ari was here… _Why wasn't Robbie?_

It had been a family joke that Ari looked so much like Billie Piper. If she dyed her hair blonde, cut and styled it correctly, the two were almost twins. A few people had even gone so far as to comment 'had she ever thought of being a stunt–double for the famous actress?' Bone structure, facial characteristics, body type and build. All were incredibly similar. Naturally, Arianna was more auburn, dimples appeared when she smiled deeply, and light freckles were across her nose, cheekbones, and down her arms. There were other coincidences that lined up, to the amusement of the Carpenters: Rosemary as a first name, so close to Rose and Ari's mother's name was Jacqueline, 'Jackie', with her maiden name of Tyler before she'd married.

So, when the epitome of the Ninth Doctor called her Rose, it actually made a bit of sense. Of course, she had to wonder where the real Rose happened to be. Not to mention, why was she in _Doctor Who_ to begin with? And it did seem to be…well, _real_ …not a studio set. The hallway went on _forever_ in a straight line; much longer than anyone would build for camera setups and shots, it was too impractical. If they needed a long shot that involved a lot of room, they'd build a shorter one and paint a background that appeared 3D, or green–screen it in later.

Going off the assumption that she was actually in the presence of the _real_ Ninth Doctor, how did that make sense? She had been about. to. _die_. Her dying sister in. her. arms. If Robbie wasn't here with her…

Ari wiggled and stretched a bit as certain ideas came to mind; one in particular. Pulling one arm as far as she could with the other. Taking a _deep_ breath in, only to let it out. Wiggling her toes—she was still barefoot—on the hallway floor. She shivered as one simple fact was quite clear: _she wasn't in any pain._ She could breathe easily. No cuts on her feet or bruises on her arms. No twinges from pulled muscles in her back. Ari struggled not to panic as that one particular idea became much more likely.

Eccleston—was she supposed to call him Doctor?—pulled open a door to gesture her out. When had they reached the outside? She didn't recall, but she could think about such things later. Robbie was more important.

Ari darted into a dark, dank, dirty alleyway and struggled not to wrinkle her nose at the stale smell of the air, the rotten garbage decaying in a dumpster not ten feet from her. "Robbie?!" she called out sharply. "Robbie, you answer me. _Now!_ "

A drip of rainwater falling into the silence was her only reply.

xxxxxx

The Doctor's hearts nearly broke as he was forced to watch all hope fade from the blonde's eyes. It took over twenty minutes of following her, making sure she was alright, not willing to leave her alone, before the girl slowed to a stop. She had desperately looked behind every bin, under every pile, inside every box and hidey–hole. She had run down the street, calling at the top of her lungs for Robbie. Each scream more despondent than the last. When she finally quieted, he gently led her back to his ship, closed the door, and positioned her in the pilot's chair where she had promptly curled her body around her knees, hugging them to her chest.

Oh, how he knew that expression in her eyes. He saw it every time he looked in the mirror: hopelessness. He knew that his own future self's actions had done this to her. This was his fault. Yet another life he had destroyed. He didn't know what to say. There was nothing that could make this better. He could never make up for this. Whether family or friend, he couldn't go back to get Robbie. The future Rose— _Ari_ —had come from no longer existed; by the act of going into the past, her very presence changed the future.

He wondered if she had any idea of what she had agreed to; if she understood the true ramifications. Her life experiences, her memories, would be used to change the future. His personal future. The future of a Time Lord. Thereby, the past she remembered—his potential future—would be erased. Yet, her memories would not change.

She was no mere ordinary human that he could pull cheap tricks and change her past to affect her present. _She_ was a time traveler of epic proportions. First his companion; now acting as a… He flinched as he realized the implications. She was upholding the responsibility, burden, and duty of life; making sure that the universe kept spinning. She was insomuch acting, in no small part, as a Time Lord, human though she may be.

So much time travel would ensure her memories stayed intact, even with the paradox. It was part of the curse of a Time Lord. The Doctor himself remembered every alternate timeline he had experienced, every paradox lived and destroyed in his efforts to end the Time War.

Ro— _Ari_ had become a paradox.

He would never be able to let her live on her own. It was too dangerous. If she fell into the wrong hands and her knowledge of this worse future, and more specifically what _led_ to its creation, then the universe itself would be threatened. He could think of no other reason than the breakdown of the universe itself for implementing such a tactic as sending a companion back in time to change his future. He couldn't even give her to another Time Lord to take care of—thus giving her the courtesy of not forcing her to look upon her tormentor every day—because he was the last. He had killed his species; limiting her options.

He would certainly do his best to give her as much latitude as possible. However, he also had a duty and responsibility to Time. Given that he was the last of his kind, that burden was even more important. There was no one left to fix Time if he made a mistake.

With that in mind, he gave her an understanding smile. "Know this will be...difficult...for you. Do my best to make it as painless as possible." She snorted softly, but he acted as if he didn't hear and just kept going. "Don't know how much my counterpart explained, so I'll start from the top." She frowned in slight confusion, which made him pause before he continued. He couldn't make any sort of phrasing that a human could misconstrue as being her fault. He didn't blame her at all. But if he wasn't careful, then he could say it in such a way that she misinterpreted the content. "I understand that you have knowledge of my personal future. But you're here to change _one_ event." More frowning from her, which made him even more careful to gather and organize his words effectively. How could he phrase this so a human could comprehend the vastness of what she had done? Did she even have the ability to understand something this large in scale? Perhaps getting 'the big picture' into a full, manageable concept wasn't important right now. However, she _did_ need to know the parameters and limitations immediately.

"Need to remember that you can't change anything else, Ro— _Ari_." She winced when he almost said Rose, changing it mid–word. He hated to see the pain in her eyes when he called her the wrong thing. He had dealt her enough agony for a lifetime, and it was going to get worse before things were resolved. "Five years of memories. Five years of things that you _can't_ change, R— _Ari_." He would have to get used to calling her the other name. Several years of thinking of her as Rose—while he was talking himself into coming back for her—would definitely take awhile to reorient in his mind. Considering what she had consented to attempt for the betterment of the universe, it was the least he could do for her in return. He would probably be making many concessions for this girl in the coming years.

It still wouldn't equal her sacrifice.

"It is imperative that you understand this," he intoned earnestly, trying to drive home the importance. Her hopeless, dead eyes almost robbed him of breath. In that one moment, he made a silent vow to do whatever it took to see that carefree smile of the Rose he had first met alight on her face again. "I'm sorry," he said solemnly. "Knowing the future is a great burden." It was a curse. Having the foreknowledge of death, trying to prevent it and being unable to, could be nothing else. A curse that he had given her. People died around him, even while trying with all his ability to save everyone. And his counterpart had given her the burden of having to watch. "I understand and I'll do my best to help you."

A long pause as she seemed to absorb his words. "So, I'll be traveling with you."

"Yes."

"...For how long?"

He winced internally. He would never be able to leave her alone. She was his responsibility now. His actions had created this physical, _living_ , paradox. He had to take care of her. There was no one else to do so.

However, she had dealt with so much today. Did he really want to add to the pile right now? He could explain further later. After this had settled in a bit. Finally, he gave a smile and said encouragingly, "You can keep traveling for as long as you like." It wasn't quite a lie. When–slash–if she ever decided to stop—after the universe–ending event had been resolved of course—he would have to stop too. Settle down with her. He shivered at the very idea of him in one time and place for long. He had never been the settling–down type. But he couldn't leave her alone.

In a half dead delivery that increased his worry for her mental state, she uttered a request. "How about we go to the end of the world? Since mine's ended already." He idly wondered at her phrasing. Did she already understand that she could never go back? That the alternate future her presence represented was already gone? Her words certainly gave that impression. He had known that Rose— _Ari damnit!_ —was intelligent, but this was more evidence of the fact.

xxxxxx

Arianna tried desperately not to break down and cry. Her worst fear had been realized. It made perfect sense. She had been about to burn to death, her sister dying with her in her very arms. Yet Ari had awoken feeling no injury on a fictitious ship with a make–believe alien.

The control room had convinced her of the authenticity of her new environment. (At least to a point.) There was no possible way that her imagination was good enough to encompass the unearthly, ethereal beauty of the time rotor's swirling mass of ever–changing colors, reminding her of the Aurora Borealis, that seemed to have emotions of their own; moving fast, then slow, then in swirls, then circles, then fast spins. Never still, always moving, and managing to convey with their color and movement an emotion as easily as reading a facial expression. At the moment, the swirls were blends of blues and greens mixed with the over-all golden, giving a relaxed, contented feel.

The television show had never shown such detail and intricacy in the coral–esque walls and columns done in red-orange-yellow shades and hues. There were actual tiny carvings in them—Gallifreyan circle–writing—that gave the impression of pocked coral from afar, as the television had shown. This console room, now that she was staring ahead of her in a desperate attempt to forget that Robbie wasn't there, wasn't really orange. It was more of a reddish gold with flares of orange running through. Considering what she knew of Gallifrey, it was probably meant to simulate the tones and textures of his planet. Reminders of a home he no longer could visit. A planet he had destroyed, but still longed for just as all people yearned for home.

No, she would never have been able to think of something this wonderful on her own.

Which left only a couple of possibilities that she was aware of. One, she had been transported to another reality. Unlikely, because why hadn't Robbie come with her? So, that led to her final conclusion.

She was dead.

This was hell.

If this had all been going on and little Robbie was with her, she would think it was either heaven, or another reality. But without Robbie? No, this had to be hell. It wasn't like a ten–year–old could accrue enough sins to earn eternal damnation. Not her Robbie, who liked to save lizards, wished on ladybugs, and screamed at the sight of spiders.

The _Doctor_ —also known as her judge, punisher, and persecutor (demon?)—had already explained how her little personal hell would work. Until he determined that she had saved enough lives through her knowledge of _Doctor Who_ , she would stay in hell. 'Traveling' was obviously a euphemism. Hell was all about absolving one's sins: punishment. Not being able to see her family, even after she had died, and—how did he phrase it?—'having the burden of future knowledge' to torment her with the number of people who could have been saved if she had done the correct thing. If she had only done such–and–such, she could have saved them all, et cetra, and her duration in hell would be shorter. 'Only change one event' was obviously to let her know just how screwed she was; how long she would be here. Only being able to save one life per episode would mean she would be in this horrible place for _decades_.

Assuming that they equated one absolution per sin with one life per episode saved. But what about if she couldn't save anyone? Or her change had even _more_ people dying in the end? Where would that leave her? The possibilities were seemingly endless and no answers were forthcoming.

Ari wondered if she also would be forced to have sex with this… _Doctor_. Originally, she had thought that a 19-year-old having coitus with a 900-year-old was squeaky enough she had almost stopped watching the reboot. She usually didn't have a problem with age gaps, even large ones (her parents had been 14 years apart in age themselves and happily married over twenty years) but that wasn't any normal age gap. That was a further–than–left–field type of robbing the cradle!

However, this was hell. Rape in hell wouldn't exactly be out of place.

She blinked over as he began to practically bounce around the hexagonal control panel surrounding the cylinder of swirly colored feelings. He gave her a bright grin as he passed her: pulling levers, grinding gears, and pushing buttons. His voice had a more solemn edge than his movements suggested as he said, almost gently, "You can't spend all your time thinking about dying. As if you're going to get killed by eggs or beef or global warming or asteroids." A loud 'ding!' announced their arrival, following a particularly hard shove of his arm to a rod. The classic sound of what River Song had described as the parking brake being left on had been a much quieter echo in reality, reverberating mostly in Ari's feet, than as depicted on the show.

Yet, somehow it still gave her that small burst of happiness she associated with watching the series. Able to finally relax, curled up on the couch with a mug of hot chocolate after a long day, eagerly awaiting to live vicariously through the characters. She had loved it. It had been her "me time".

He held out a hand to her and pulled her to her feet, guiding her back to the entrance. "You need to take time to imagine the impossible. That, just maybe, you survive." He threw open the doors theatrically, showing her a view of a large room with one entire wall and the ceiling as clear plexiglass. At an angle to her was the sun, but centerpoint was a gorgeous view of the Earth like she had seen in science textbooks. "This is the year 5.5/apple/26. Five _billion_ years into the future." He gestured to the massive columns and basically the satellite itself that they had landed upon. "Five _billion years_. Humans survive."

He stared deeply into her eyes, trying to help her understand what he was really telling her. She simply blinked at him, uncomprehending. He gave a small sad half–smile as he explained further. "You _will_ survive _._ " Even the most horrible things eventually, with time, passed. If she could hold on, endure, it would get better. He gave her that silent promise.

A pleasant feminine voice came over a loudspeaker system. "Shuttles five and six now docking. Guests are reminded that Platform One forbids the use of weapons, teleportation, and religion. Earth Death is scheduled for fifteen thirty–nine."

The timbre was particularly unique in _Doctor Who_ , alerting Ari to the episode. She had been joking about going to the end of the world. But apparently the Doctor had taken her literally. Ari wanted to facepalm. He was 900 years old; didn't he understand bleak sarcasm when he heard it?!

They were in a large room even more beautiful than the show had been able to depict. It was done in dark wood veneer and stains, with hanging chandeliers between every dark–stained pillar on the outer walls to their left and right. But the biggest feature of the room that caught your attention immediately was the 'window'. It started at the wall straight across from the door, and went from the floor to the ceiling, up and then _became_ the ceiling. The whole room was built to observe whatever was outside Platform One. Currently, that view was the Earth itself.

It was beautiful. Majestic, really.

However, that didn't change things. "I don't want to be here," Ari whispered. She knew what was coming. It had been tragic enough when she had seen it through a twelve–inch television screen. In person? Where she was actually _meeting_ these people? No. "Please don't make me."

xxxxxx

The Doctor frowned down at her in momentary confusion. She had asked to see the end of the world. Why didn't she…? His forehead eased, then wrinkled again. "You've done this before."

Ari hesitated before answering with a single nod. "I know what's going to happen, yes."

"I thought we talked about this. You can only change the _one_ event that brought you here. That's all! Everything else, _everything_ , has to happen exactly as it did!" He was yelling, angry. Angry at himself for not making himself clear. Angry at his counterpart for not explaining. Angry at what he's going to force her to endure. Angry at her for being so _human_.

Ari matched his raised voice with her own, eyes flashing dangerously again. "People died the first time!"

"Then they are going to die again!" A part of him was grateful for her rage. It was the most emotion she had shown in almost twenty minutes. That didn't prevent what had to be done. He saw her freeze at his words, shock clear in her posture and eyes. His anger fizzled as he ran a hand through his hair. "Ari, _nothing_ can change except what occurred to bring you here. Visit the same places, the same adventures...the same results. You can't do anything that you didn't do before."

"People are going to _die_." She stressed the last word, as if he didn't understand.

"I know," he answered solemnly. There were always people who died around him, no matter how hard he tried to save them all.

"If I do have to experience all this, why won't you let me save them? Or at least try?" she was almost pleading, salt water trailing down her cheeks.

He wished he could let her. She was breaking his hearts with her tone and tears. He tried to explain, though doubted that she was calm enough to think clearly and be logical. On top of that, she was human. The intricacies of the Laws of Time took over a century for him to learn in the Academy. The chances she would understand were slim. However, considering the circumstances, she deserved at least an attempt at an explanation. "Ari…" he sighed as he tried to put things in a way she could accept. "The future you came from, the future you remember, no longer exists. Will never exist. Coming to the past has ensured that.

"However, the major events should be almost identical, even if the smaller details are not. We _need_ the major points to be what you remember. So that, when the event that brought you here occurs again, we can change it. Everything has to be the same _now_ , so that we can change that one event at the end." He saw her eyes betray her resistance and tried another tactic. "Think dominoes, Ari. You change something, it's like tipping a domino, which tips the next and the next and the next. Timeline changes too much from what you remember, we may not be able to prevent the event that brought you here. Universe could end again." Even the thought of it made his breath catch and hearts clench in dread. The whole of time and space lost a second time. He'd have to send someone back again. He'd have to figure out how he'd sent someone back the first time…

Her expression turned thoughtful, speculative. "You keep saying 'the major events'. What would count as a major event?"

This was the harder part. "Impossible for you to know." He saw her surprise, then a flash of defiance. He hurried to clarify. "Someone experiencing a smaller event could influence them toward a larger event. Or they tell the story to someone else who does. It's all dominoes, Rose." He winced at her flare of pain and anger; she had actually physically jerked at him saying her former name. That kind of reaction bore noting. "Sorry. Ari. To a non–linear, non–subjective viewpoint, Time is like a big ball of string. Bits of Time touching other bits, directing how it will twist and turn. Change a little bit, and the thread changes how it lays; changes how the threads next to it lay, which changes the ones next to those, and so on until the whole ball is different to how it started.

"Little things affect big things. And I'm sorry," he finished solemnly, looking deeply into her eyes to attempt to convey just how important this was. How necessary. "I'm so sorry. But whether someone is alive or dead, even how they die or are saved, is a _very_ big thing." He saw understanding fill her eyes and mentally breathed a sigh of relief.

xxxxxx

Ari turned to look out at the beautiful, mesmerizing visage of the blue, green, and white planet as his words brought to mind the episode "Father's Day", when Rose went back and saved her father, who had died soon after she was born. Just saving that one seemingly insignificant life of Peter Tyler, the man who had never really done anything significant to influence the world… Saving him had caused those things to come, to " _sterilize the wound"_ —wasn't that what the Doctor had said about them? That they were like antibodies or something?—and the world had almost ended. Everyone on Earth being eaten, vanishing completely.

What else had the Doctor said that episode? When the almost–married couple had come to him? It had always stuck with her…

" _I don't know what this is all about. And I know we're not important_ — _"_

" _Who said you're not important?"_

To the Doctor—to Time itself—there was no such thing as an unimportant person. Every life mattered. So his words and logic did make sense in some ways.

However, there was a rather large something that was slowly struggling to make itself known. He kept saying that she had come back in time to prevent some future event. Kept calling her Rose. In "Father's Day", Rose had changed her own past. _That_ was what caused the flying people–eaters to come. If Ari was indeed what the demon–Doctor claimed, then he would be right. Everything he said made sense, if viewed from that angle.

Not to mention, those flying people–eaters had come because a seemingly insignificant person had lived. What about at the end of "Waters of Mars", when the Doctor tried to change a fixed point. Save someone who _had_ to die. He'd almost destroyed the universe then, because Adelaide's death had influenced so much of that future. But the others from the base had been able to live without too many issues—though who knew how they had explained suddenly going from the Mars expedition to being on Earth. Maybe UNIT or Torchwood had fixed things for them. But the Doctor's personal future wasn't really influenced by those people…was it?

However, more to the point, Rosemary Arianna Carpenter was NOT Rose Tyler, no matter the stunning similarities. Did that mean that Ari could change whatever she wanted? Save whoever she wanted? Did she dare chance it?

A slice of intense fear slid down her spine at the idea that her actions would make those people–eaters appear. That _she_ would be the reason the world would end. Was this her true hell? Being forced to watch people die that she could save? Or the trepidation that attempting to save people would end everything in the universe?

The demon–Doctor's soothing baritone entered her thoughts. "Breathe, Ari. Be alright." Until he said something, she hadn't even realized she had been holding it. _"_ _Breathe._ " He pounded on her back once, forcing her to take a gasping gulp of life–giving air. "There you go. Keep breathing. In. Out. In. Out. _Breathe._ " It was almost as if she could hear his voice in her mind, urging her—or commanding her—to do as he said. "Just a panic attack, Ari. It'll pass. Just _breathe_ and it'll pass." His hand made soothing circles on her back as his voice in her head burrowed itself deeper, or seemed to, and forced her lungs to work normally. Taking control since she had momentarily lost her ability to do so.

What was probably minutes later, but gave the impression of hours—though she didn't know for sure if it was minutes, hours, seconds, or even years—she finally managed to gather herself and work her lungs on her own. "There. Told you it would pass." His bright tone encouraged her to believe him. Or was he trying to cheer her up? Or maybe congratulating her on the success? Or was it just how he was? Stating facts? She remembered that Nine had alternately been really morose and really happy, jumping between extremes like a jackrabbit.

Which led her to the thought… Could she really trust what she had seen on the show for what was to occur? This was _hell_. Who knew what the demons could, or would, change? Could she ask him? She probably couldn't ask directly, he'd know the jig was up and it could get even worse for her. What if they chose to put her in the hands of Dr. Hannibal Lector instead? Or Mycroft Holmes? Or Kilgrave? Ari almost had another panic attack at _that_ idea.

So, she needed to ask the demon–Doctor in such a way that she didn't give away she knew where she really was. Hesitantly, she began, barely whispering, "There's no way that I can remember all the details. All the things that… were said and done." She had almost said 'that Rose had said and done' but managed to catch herself in time. "I blocked out some of them." That was certainly true. Like that horrible episode in season three with that moronic Doctor club. What had it been called? Some girl's name. LOLA? LARA? LEENA? Something with an 'L'. Ari hated that episode and always immediately shut it off whenever it came on. Same with the Midnight episode in season four. "Even if I…let people die, it won't be the same."

At least she was thinking about the reality of her situation, the Doctor thought with internal relief. The truth was, she was right. "Your very presence has changed the future, Ari. Just by being here; your twenty-four-year-old self versus your nineteen-year-old self. Even if you didn't know the future, your reactions would be different because you are essentially a different person than you were. Your life experiences and memories affect how you view the world around you, how you act and react. The timelines would differ."

Ari began to feel a bit lightheaded again as he continued. "However, that is exactly the reason you should make sure what you remember happening, does."

"So that things stay as close to the original timeline as possible."

"Until that end event, yeah."

"To change it and save the universe."

"Yeah." He nodded, smiling at her as if she were a dog that had done an unexpected trick. She wanted to slap him.

Instead, she looked him directly in the eye and calmly asked, "And what might that event _be_?" His priceless expression of stunned, poleaxed, bewilderment warmed her heart. She had no idea how terrified she had made the Time Lord with the simple question.

"You mean the event that brought me here?" she offered after a second, deciding to take pity on him. His quick nod of vehement agreement warmed her heart even more though.

 _I can save Robbie…?_

If she understood all this correctly, then when all the episodes had run their course, she would be able to be with her sister. Hell would be over for her. She could go be with her family. But that still didn't answer the question: could she change things from what she remembered of the episodes? Did she dare chance it?

Would she be able to live with herself if she didn't at least try?


	3. Ch2: To Save?

**Chapter Two: To Save or Not to Save?**

 **AN***:** Rewritten starting 2-8-18

" _I've never wished a man dead, but I've read some obituaries with great pleasure."_ _  
_ _~Mark Twain_

The Doctor's hearts pounded in absolute terror at her seemingly innocent question. _"What event might that_ _be_ _?"_ If Ari didn't know what had occurred that forced him to bring her to the past, how was she/he supposed to know what to change?! Was the universe doomed already?! Then she continued with, "You mean the event that brought me here?" and he nodded as quickly as he could while also trying desperately to get his own breathing under control. He didn't know what made that little happy intensely-relieved smile appear on her face, but he liked it. It made her face light up and crinkles showed up around her eyes. Most significantly, she had a dimple when she grinned.

All of which paled in comparison to the absolute relief he felt since she knew what had brought her to the past, thus letting her know what to change for a better future. The Doctor sincerely hoped she didn't get into a habit of almost giving _him_ a panic attack.

He had just… What with the War… The universe couldn't end already! He wouldn't let it! He took a deep breath to steady himself and his thoughts.

His punishment for saving the universe was living in lonely isolation; his mind an empty desolate landscape of only his own thoughts. To a man who was used to layers of telepathic bonds in place, all chattering away, it was torture. He had no doubt the silence would slowly drive him insane. But he also had certain responsibilities. And he had not just saved the universe, was suffering this horrible price for doing so, just to watch helplessly as it was destroyed again. He refused!

So, he would watch Ari closely and ensure that the universe kept spinning.

His counterpart had five years to develop their relationship into intense trust…but he did not yet have that. Her question about not knowing the event that resulted in her arrival had unnerved him. He hoped she had simply been joking? That was far more preferable to the alternative. He shivered slightly at the terrifying idea.

Perhaps he should suggest she start a journal of her memories?

++ARI+++ROSE+++ARI++

Ari contemplated the beautiful scenery, biting her lip unconsciously, as she thought about the possibilities. A lot of people had died in this episode. If the rules of hell dictated she could only save one person per episode…then how did she choose when there were so many? The most obvious was the tree-woman. Easiest too, since she had died from holding the lever. But what about the ones that had been in the main room at the time?

Not to mention—because she already had at least twice—did she really have to keep with all of Rose's actions? Even Cassandra? The bitchy trampoline was horrid and Ari would much rather stay as far away as possible. What about maybe sneaking away to speak to Jack, aka the Face of Boe? Ari sighed, shaking her head.

Neither noticed that they shivered slightly at the same time, though for very different reasons.

"Who the bloody hell are you?!" The blurted, almost accusatory, shout pulled both of them forcibly out of their thoughts. "How did you get in? This is a _maximum hospitality zone_! The guests have already disembarked! They're on their way any second now!" The more the blue steward spoke, the higher his pitch became as the poor man's anxiety level rose.

Ari winced at the volume. On the episode, the man had probably been a tenor… This 'real' demonic blue being was not a tenor, his tonality was much higher than any mere tenor.

The Doctor shook his head at the man, trying to smooth things over as quickly as possible before the little creature had an attack of some sort. "It's alright. We're guests." He pulled out his psychic paper and flashed it, letting the reassurance of an invitation ease things. "See? It's fine. I'm the Doctor, this is Ari Tyler—"

"Carpenter," Ari interrupted him. "Arianna Carpenter." She shrugged at the Doctor's curious expression. "It's my middle name."

"Ah. Ari _Carpenter_ then." He nodded his understanding. So, she _had_ married. Most probably to the 'Robbie' she had been searching for. Short for Robert, most like. The Doctor refocused on the steward. "She's my plus one. That all right?"

"Well, obviously." The steward was much calmer almost instantly, now that he had seen their ticket. It was still very strange in _how_ the pair had arrived. He couldn't remember seeing them on the security footage. Though it was decidedly odd, he still had a job to do and they _did_ have an invitation. "Apologies, et cetera." He watched them as they absorbed his, at best half-hearted apology, but they didn't seem to mind. Yes, very curious.

He cleared his throat. "Well, if you're ready and in the Great Room, we might as well start." He gave a small incline of his neck that could have been a respectful bow if one squinted. "Enjoy." Then he made his way over to his podium and began to do his job as perfunctorily as possible. "We have in attendance the Lord Doctor and Lady Arianna. All staff to their positions. Thank you."

Ari blinked at all the sudden and subtle changes that had occurred in less than five minutes. Was it because this was supposedly real instead of what she knew it to be? Or was it because of herself, pretending to be Rose?

Sheesh, a lot of fangirls probably want to be Rose, but she had never been one of them. She had always been more of a person to write herself into the story instead. Even as a child. At one time, the Power Rangers had been her favorite thing ever. Yet, she never had a desire to usurp Trini's position of the Yellow Ranger. Nope. Ari had instead invented the Purple Power Ranger to go along with the other five.

She suddenly had an idea and looked over—trying to hide the sneakiness she knew her eyes must now hold—and asked the demon-Doctor, "Do you want me to tell you what's going to happen?"

"What?" The demon-Doctor stared at her, clearly startled. "Thought we discussed this, Ari. You can't change anything. So, in telling me, you would change events. I would react differently, resulting in a different outcome. It's too dangerous."

Ari nodded slowly as she thought about the implications. If she didn't have to tell him, then there was no way for him to know if she changed more than she was allowed. Not without him admitting he was a demon, already knowing what was going to happen just as she did. It was hard to remember that he _was_ a demon though. What with him just standing there as if everything was perfectly normal, amidst all these spectacular sights. But he was a demon—he couldn't be anything else, really—and so she had to tread very carefully around him. Say as little as possible, in the fear that she might give the game away.

If they knew that she knew…they would have no reason not to change the rules or change the game completely. Give her a demon-Hannibal Lector or demon-Khan Noonien Singh instead of a demon-Doctor! Ari shivered intensely at the idea.

"Cold?" The demon-Doctor asked her kindly. He didn't wait for an answer before he was shrugging out of his leather jacket and placing it on her shoulders. "There. Left yours in the infirmary," he said by way of explanation.

Ari blinked at him in slightly confusion. He was very kind for a demon. Then she mentally snorted to herself. This hell of hers appeared to be more intellectual torture than physical. Wanting to drive her crazy with finding the correct single individual to save, measuring all the potential causes and effects of it, analyzing everything that needed to happen in major future 'episodes' versus superfluous ones.

No, they didn't need to give her a chill on top of everything else. Though…need had nothing to do with how hell operated. Of course, how could she know? More time was needed to figure out the other rules and guidelines. If she could learn them all, then she could start to work around them. So far, she only had two rules: save only one per episode and don't give anything away. She knew more would follow. That's just the way things worked.

"The gift of peace." A voice once again intruded into Ari's thoughts, jerking her to stare at the female. She was about Ari's height, maybe a little taller, and _far_ more beautiful than BBC had depicted. Even just standing there, Ari felt like a country bumpkin in comparison to this green goddess that had simply appeared in front of her. Ari, never one to hide from problems, glared at the forest queen.

++ARI+++ROSE+++ARI++

"I bring you a cutting of my grandfather." Jabe held out a small pot with a single twig planted within, already thriving vigorously. When she noted the blonde's angry gaze, she smiled gently at the girl.

Being a tree, her age was counter-intuitive to her appearance. She had been alive for a great number of Galactic Standard Years (GSY) and had attended many of these little parties. Jabe knew a first-timer when she saw one and remembered the feeling of inadequacy next to all the luxury a place like Satellite One kept.

Jabe also remembered that it was better to have a female ear and saw that the Lord Doctor was definitely male. She smiled patiently, feeling her years as this proof of the next young crop came out. She gave her brother a _look_. Without showing any outward sign of surprise, he was far too well-trained for such a slip, Lute pulled out another small pot and handed it over. Jabe gave it to the girl, who blinked at her in surprise; down at the sprout, then back up again with shock nestled in her eyes. "Relax Lady Arianna. It will not be as bad as you fear." She leaned forward and whispered, "If you make a mistake, just pretend it was on purpose and raise an eyebrow at anyone who asks. It will make them think they forgot some step of the dance." When she pulled back, she winked at the girl conspiratorially. "Find me later and we will discuss other little tricks."

Mindful of the young girl, Jabe ignored the deep intimacy of giving someone air from one's own lungs, patted the blonde's arm reassuringly, and moved to the next guest.

++ARI+++ROSE+++ARI++

Ari stared at the little plant in her hands. That was it. She'd save Jabe. The woman was not only kind but considerate of her feelings and didn't mind at all that she had been glaring daggers at her. The female tree had seemed to see right through her and gave her advice. Kind. Understanding. Playful. Generous.

Arianna's hands clutched the pot to her chest, touched by the gift. No, she wouldn't allow this nice woman—no matter her species—to die if she could help it.

But Ari also had to wonder at all the little details that were going off. They were the 'Lord Doctor and Lady Arianna'. She knew that it was his Gallifreyan title, but couldn't remember it ever being used by anyone _other_ than the Lord President Rassilon in the 'End of Time' episodes. Jabe hadn't commented on the Doctor's gift of peace either, instead focusing on reassuring Ari.

Were those tiny things enough to throw everything out of balance? Could she still save Jabe?

As the various aliens came by—Ari made sure to be just a _little_ to the left when it was the blue blob's turn—she began to notice something interesting. It was small, just like all the differences were, but still noticeable. (Though perhaps she only noticed because she was looking for the inconsistencies?) In the show, every being, except Jack Harkness, all spoke with an British accent. To be expected, given that it was a BBC show. They even explained it away as the TARDIS translation circuits interpreting everything, translating them into what was familiar.

However, Ari wasn't Rose Tyler and she wasn't a British citizen. She was born and raised in West Virginia. So the translation circuits weren't giving her just English accents, but a various cacophony of the accents she had heard and experienced through her grandfather, who had been a submariner, traveling the world in his younger days.

James Carpenter had made it a game of trying to imitate accents when he had been at sea. (Long hours of guard duty made one seek out things to occupy the mind.) With his new grandchildren, he found an avid audience at story time, using different voices for each character. As Ari had grown older, she had discovered that she could adopt and imitate any accent she heard, as could little Robbie.

There was a catch though. Ari could imitate any accent she heard…but she couldn't do any of them on purpose. She _always_ adopted whatever she heard. She couldn't help it. Robbie was better at controlling the ability because the little girl practiced, thinking it great fun. Ari had simply enjoyed story time without the inclination of reading aloud herself that Robbie had seemed to inherit from their grandfather.

Thus she wondered if she should be alarmed or amused when the procession of aliens made Ari aware in a bit more detail of how the TARDIS translation circuits worked. Because she was keeping a tally. So far she had heard British, Scottish, German, Georgian, Californian, Australian, Boston, and Tahitian.

Of course, since she couldn't keep the accent she currently had—courtesy of hearing the Doctor—she was flipping back and forth between accents with every being that spoke.

Honestly, it was starting to grate on her nerves.

++ARI+++ROSE+++ARI++

The Doctor was officially impressed.

He supposed that, given everything the girl had been through, this was relatively minor, but he couldn't remember a companion ever doing the like before. Oh, there had been a few who knew Galactic Standard, but this was different.

He knew that Rose had been 19 and she was now 24. That meant that in the approximate five years she had been travelling with him she had learned more than his usual companions. Another piece in the Rose Arianna puzzle. Just how close had the two of them been? Closer than he had originally thought, obviously.

At first he had, of course, known that his counterpart had trusted her implicitly to send her back in time to change his own future. Thus breaking nearly all the Laws of Time in one go. He was thinking they would grow into best friends, or a relationship that was similar. However, this little tidbit showed just how deep their bond had gone…would go.

He smirked slightly to himself in amusement. Tenses were going to be difficult with Ari around. Well, slightly difficult. Well, a little bit at least.

He felt another stab of sympathetic pain for the girl. _She_ had a deep bond…but not with him. The bond she held was now only with his magnificent ship. He hadn't noticed at first, but her actions in the last few minutes had made it extremely obvious.

She was speaking in the language of those that approached. _All_ of the languages. Somehow, she had figured out how to tap into his ship's translation matrix. All of his other companions had simply accepted the fact that the multitude of tongues were being translated telepathically. Rose— _Ari,_ he interrupted his own thought. (He had to get out of the habit of calling her Rose!) He hated how she flinched every time he said her first name. This aspect of how deep a friend she was with his counterpart made him wonder if she flinched because of bad memories…or good ones? Remembering what she had now lost. Asking him to call her by her middle name in order to separate the different Doctors in her mind. The one who knew her and the stranger wearing a friend's face.

Some time in the five years she had been his counterpart's companion, Arianna had learned how to tap into the TARDIS's translation from her end, letting her speak whatever language she needed instead of just hearing the familiar. Actively controlling the circuits instead of being a passive recipient. His counterpart must have shown her how, but why? Why was it a skill she had needed, or wanted, when the Doctor himself was the conduit? Was there going to come a time when she would need to speak a language foreign to her own native tongue? A time when she would be alone…?

How ever she had acquired the skill, Ari used it flawlessly.

Yet, even as he marveled and applauded her use, inwardly he cringed. It was obviously a habit for her; she shifted from one language to another too fluidly for it to be anything else. But the ability required a bond with his ship…a bond he would not have given a first-adventure companion. He hadn't given such a bond with companions that had travelled with him for years! Not even Sarah Jane!

Which meant that, even though she was doing so unintentionally, Ari was changing events. There was no way young Rose would have possessed the skill Ari was displaying. It was such a small thing…but the Doctor well knew how significant a seemingly small detail could play in the vastness of Time.

He first was tempted to just pull Ari to the side and admonish her, but realized that in itself would be changing the flow of Time as well. (Young Rose wouldn't have had the ability, thus his counterpart would never have needed to pull her aside for admonishment.) Potentially even more so than what had already been done. Instead, he would have to pay close attention to the girl, note any similar abnormalities, and speak with her after they were safely back on the ship.

++ARI+++ROSE+++ARI++

As the minutes dragged by watching the procession of alien beings and being steadily amazed at the detail BBC had been missing with their costumes, Ari became aware of yet another difference. This one involving the taller male standing beside her. In between receiving gifts of peace and chatting about meaningless nothings—what her grandfather had called 'social niceties'—Ari would sneak sideways glances at the Doctor.

Studying him out of the corner of her eye, or near abouts. She began to realize that he wasn't _precisely_ a perfect duplicate of Christopher Eccleston. He still had the close-cropped military haircut, big ears, distinctive jawline, and forehead wrinkles. But the longer she studied him, the more she saw subtle differences.

His hair was a shade darker. His black bomber jacket looked to have more wear than the one she remembered from the show. Those she could dismiss easily as a forgetful memory… It was his eyes that kept her attention. They were an identical blue to Eccleston, but somehow, they seemed to hold _more_. Christopher had been able to express both the highs and lows of the Ninth Doctor, manic and serious, using a combination of stance, energy, and facial expression.

This man… Ari could somehow see…something…in his eyes that Eccleston never could pull off. She couldn't quite put her finger on what that something _was_ , but knew it was indicative of many varied memories. Loss.

It was more confirmation he was a demon. Of _course_ he had more life experiences, demons lived thousands of years!

Ari was jerked away from her thoughts as the Steward once again droned on about who was coming into the room. "And last but not least, our very special guest. Ladies and Gentlemen, and Trees and Multiforms. Consider the Earth below. In memory of this dying world, we call forth The Last Human." Ari rolled her eyes in annoyance. She had never liked the bitchy trampoline, even the first time she had seen the episode and yet to know the woman was the antagonist. "The Lady Cassandra O'Brien Dot Delta Seventeen."

She was surprised though as said trampoline came into the room. The reason for her surprise was how…ordinary the 'woman' looked. It was exactly the same as she remembered. Not a detail out of place. How odd. Most everything that Ari had seen had been at least slightly off, in one aspect or more. Did it mean something significant that Cassandra wasn't?

"Oh, now, don't stare. I know, I know it's shocking, isn't it? I've had my chin completely taken away and look at the difference! Look how thin I am." The Doctor laughed silently but it was almost unthinking, his eyes on Ari's reaction to the woman. First had come irritation, then surprise, and now her facial expression had settled on a thoughtful wariness. That wariness made him wary himself and he vowed to keep a _very_ close eye on her. Both hers, come to think of it: Ari and Lady Cassandra.

"Thin and dainty! I don't look a day over two thousand. Moisturize me, moisturize me." One of the two men in white body suits who wheeled her in was holding a canister, which he sprayed onto Cassandra. "Truly, I am the last human."

He watched as Ari slowly creeped closer for a better look on the other side of the thin sheet as Cassandra kept talking. "My father was a Texan. My mother was from the Arctic Desert. They were born on the Earth and were the last to be buried in the soil." Ari had walked completely around to the other side of Cassandra and was studying the woman with intense scrutiny. As if trying to find something or evidence of something. "I have come to honor them and..." Cassandra sniffled dramatically, " _..._ say goodbye. Oh, no tears." One of the white bodyguards wiped her eyes as Ari gave up finding whatever she was looking for and came back to the Doctor's side. "No tears. I'm sorry. But behold! I bring gifts. From Earth itself - the last remaining ostrich egg."

One of the staff came in and displayed the egg to the room before putting it on a pedestal. "Legend says it had a wingspan of 50 feet and blew fire from its nostrils."

Ari snorted derisively. Apparently, even though she wasn't actively watching any more, she still listened, the Doctor noted. "Or was that my third husband?" Ari rolled her eyes, but the Doctor laughed. It was funny.

"Who knows!" Cassandra spoke to herself for a few seconds, "Oh, don't laugh. I'll get laughter lines!" Then she paused and introduced a large jukebox that was wheeled into the room by two of the blue staff. "And here, another rarity. According to the archives, this was called an iPod. It stores classical music from humanity's greatest composers. Play on!"

One of the staff pressed a button and a record fell into place. The 'iPod' started to play Tainted Love by Soft Cell. The Doctor dipped his head rhythmically with the beat, looking around appreciatively at how the other species were reacting. Even so, a part of his mind was laser-focused on Arianna.

The Steward was making an announcement again, "Refreshments will now be served. Earth Death scheduled in thirty minutes. Please feel comfortable to move about freely."

Ari's eyes shifted to the Steward for a second, once again noticing something different than what she remembered. Or were there things that she just didn't remember, but were still part of the episode? Then she thought that perhaps she should just ask Jack. He would know, right? Unless he was a demon too and lied through his teeth. How was she to know?

Was there _anyone_ she could trust?

"Lady Arianna?" Jabe's voice cut through Ari's thoughts, jerking her head over instinctively. A flash of something—laser or light?—from a device that she held, stylized to resemble vines, leaves, and chirping like an insect. "Thank you," she smiled at the young woman.

Ari though was frowning. Why had the tree wanted a photo of her and not the Doctor? Had she already changed so much? Jabe's interest in the Doctor was what prompted the woman to sacrifice herself in the end. Right? Ari had decided to save her, but could it be that easy? She hadn't even tried. It'd just…happened.

Did that mean that Ari could save someone else too? Or…was this it? She didn't feel like she had _done_ anything. So…did it count?

She was getting a headache.

Which made sense. Hell was… Well, hell. So being in pain while in hell was perfectly reasonable. Even logical! Still…headache.

"Alright?" the Doctor asked gently. He had watched her expression go the kaleidoscope of emotions, then stop as she rubbed her temples as if in pain.

"I didn't do it," Ari's automatic response made the Doctor's eyebrows shoot up to his hairline. "What haven't you done now?" he asked in surprise and no small amount of concern. Hadn't he told her that she couldn't change anything?!

"It was supposed to be you, but she did me and now I don't know what to do." Ari's thoughts came out in a rush without consulting her brain first. She winced at her words. Was he on to her? Did he know that she knew that they were in hell? Was the jig up? Were they going to bring in a demon-Kilgrave now? "I didn't mean to…" she hated how much her tone was pleading, but didn't backtrack either. God, _please_ , even a demon-Khan Noonien Singh was better than Kilgrave! A demon-Kilgrave would be even worse! Her lungs froze at the mental image of the Purple Man.

The Doctor sighed as he realized why she was almost in a panicked state again. Though did feel reassured that it hadn't been intentional. " _Breathe_ , Ari. _Breathe_." He commanded, brushing his fingertips against her neck to mentally insert the telepathic order.

Her earlier panic attack had been so extreme that he'd resorted to something he usually didn't: telepathy. Gallifreyans were natural touch-telepaths. So when doing the standard 'breathe with me' didn't work, he'd gone down the road of telepathic command. And had been surprised how susceptible she was to the tactic.

Almost as if her mind was yearning for another and latched on to his own, welcoming in his presence with open arms and holding him close. It was taken some gentle disentanglement to worm his way out of her mind the first time, but he had been able to accomplish it without any resulting damage. He also doubted she noticed the oddity. It wasn't as if she normally came in contact with telepaths. Humans didn't have such abilities…or wouldn't for another few millennia or so.

Thus, as soon as she began to exhibit the symptoms of another episode, he let his fingers brush against the skin of her neck and connect with her mind. Perhaps it was his own that wanted to hold hers…he was the telepath and his species was gone, leaving him mentally alone for the first time in his long life. The feel of someone else in his brain was _beautiful_. Who could blame him for not wanting to let go?

Yet it wasn't natural for a human. So he reluctantly released her mind as his fingers left her skin, leaving her more relaxed than when he started. Another panic attack. Was she going to be prone to them?

It would be an excuse to touch her mind again if it were true.

Or…was the reason that her mind was so in tune with his was that… They were even more than 'just companions' than he had first thought? Had he possibly…?

His gray-blue eyes tracked Ari as she began to move across the room, rivetted on her form. "What are you, Rose Arianna Carpenter?" he whispered to the air. _What are you…to me?_

+++ARI+++NINE+++ARI+++

Ari got her breath back from the brink of hyperventilation with help of the friendly neighborhood weird niggle-voice from before. Once she got it under control though, she slid out from under the Doctor's arm and went off in a random direction.

She didn't want to be that close to him. "This is so messed up," she muttered to herself.

"It's not as bad as you think," a very male voice echoed in her mind.

Ari looked around frantically, but stilled almost immediately as she realized that she'd ended up right beside the Face of Boe. "Uhhh…hi?" her tone said 'ask' instead of 'tell'.

A low chuckle was her answer. "It's been a long time, Anna."

She blinked, then realized what he was talking about. "Oh yeah. You're Jack Harkness. I can't believe I forgot that bit."

"Considering the situation, it's perfectly understandable." Even his mental voice had a smile for her, though outwardly there was almost no change in facial expression.

"Why'd you call me Anna?"

"Over the years, you'll hear many new names for you. I alone called you anything from Arianna to Ri to Anna to Lady to Shorty to—"

"Okay, okay, I get the point," she groused, interrupting him.

He chuckled again. "You are at but the beginning of your journey, Arianna. There is a long road ahead."

Her heart sank at his words, her suspicions confirmed on how long this punishment would last. He'd said 'over the years', after all. "Do I… Do I ever save her?" she asked softly.

His mental voice became sympathetic and gentle as he replied. "Yes, but I do warn you. She will not be as you remember. And you will not be able to stay with her. The situation is even more complicated than you know."

Ari nodded her understanding. "But I _do_ save her?"

"Yes."

"Then it'll be worth it." She blew out a sharp breath. "Any advice?"

"Trust your instincts. Trust yourself. When the time comes, trust me." The Face of Boe gave her a solemn-eyed stare. "I know you will ignore me, but I will also ask that you trust the Doctor." She jerked away from him in surprise. "Please, Arianna. So much can be prevented if you but speak plainly with him."

"If you are up-to-date on all the laws of Time or whatnot, you'd know that you can't change the past." She countered.

"Ah, but neither you nor the Doctor are subject to most laws as perceived by others. To you both, those events are future ones. They can yet be changed." He closed his eyes and his voice sighed in her head. "I've regretted many things in my very long life, Arianna. But know this: I never regretted what happened between us."

"What happened between us?" she instantly questioned in abject confusion. Silence was her only answer. If she didn't know better, she'd think he fell asleep.

At least now she knew that, eventually, she'd find and save Robbie. She'd get to her sister. Nothing else mattered in the long run. Her little sister would get a chance to live. Jack had said it would take _years_ to save her sister…

She sighed herself and went over to stare out at the exquisite view. She barely acknowledged when she felt the floor beneath her feet shake slightly.

Really, what was the point? Hadn't she already ensured that Jabe survived? If the rules said she couldn't save anyone else, then why not enjoy the view?

"—know gravity pockets and they don't feel like that." The Doctor's voice intruded upon her thoughts. Her head jerked around. "What do you think, Ari? Listen to those engines. They've pitched up about thirty Hertz. That dodgy or what?" He'd only been trying to get her attention. He saw her and knew she was brooding. Since there was no way she'd be brooding on her first visit, he needed a way to get her engaged again to her surroundings.

Ari gazed back at him with a deadpan expression. "I thought you didn't want me to tell you anything."

"You can't change the future except for that one event that brought you to me. You can't tell me about my personal future. If I know, I'll react differently, which will change events. However, when I ask you things, I know what I'm doing." He stared at her sternly. "I also asked you a yes-or-no question that wasn't about anything in the future. Only the present."

Ari sighed. Her eyes caught on Jabe, who had come up beside them. "Why don't you ask Jabe? She's been on these things before."

Cue the tree-woman to blink at them. "It's the sound of metal. It doesn't make any sense to me." There wasn't anything she could contribute moreover. "Though I would be happy to speak with your wife on other matters."

"She's not my wife," the Doctor immediately countered. However, there was an odd quality to his voice. As if he wasn't sure of what he said.

"Partner?" Jabe cocked her head to the side in question, curious.

"No."

For a man to afford such a ticket as Platform One, to bring along anyone other than a significant other, servant, or relative, was very strange indeed. "Concubine?"

"Nope." He had sounded much more certain about 'concubine'.

"Prostitute?"

Arianna growled beneath her breath, having had more than enough. "Do you mind? I'm his 'something' which has nothing to do with sexual intercourse. If you want to tag him yourself, you have my permission. Maybe he'll lighten up."

"Me lighten up? I've yet to see you smile once!" The Doctor protested. "And what do you mean by 'tag' me?"

Ari did grin at that, a small devilish grin that changed her features toward childish humor. "Why don't you two go… _pollinate_ and tell me all about it after?"

Jabe hadn't meant to offend the young woman, so she had given Ari an apologetic smile at the time. With the new 'suggestion' however, she laughed with a large genuine smile. "Indeed!" She looked at the Doctor. "There is a maintenance duct by my quarters. I'd be happy to show you."

He eyed Ari suspiciously even as he offered his arm to Jabe. "What will you be doing?"

Ari shrugged. "Looking at the stars? Not much else to do."

"Mingle. Make a new friend. Socialize."

She glared at him. "If you mean with the Michael Jackson wannabe, I'll pass."

"Don't start a fight," he sighed.

"Earth Death in fifteen minutes." The computer helpfully reminded. "Earth Death in fifteen minutes."

Arianna stared at their retreating backs. She was trying to remember the specifics of the episode, but it was only coming back in fits and starts. She knew Jabe had died holding down the lever to the fans so that the computer could restart, because the sunfilter had been over-riding all the safeguards. So as long as Ari herself was holding the lever, then that was one death off her count.

But a lot of what she remembered, like Rose being in danger from a sunfilter malfunction, she couldn't remember how had occurred. The chain of events that had set that particular thing into motion. It had been awhile. She hadn't owned the episodes herself; she'd just watched them on television. So she wasn't certain on order (except for a few). And she knew those that weren't as popular were shown less often.

She wandered back over to Jack. "How critical is it that I get these exactly right?" How could she, when she didn't remember the specifics?

One eye blinked open to gaze at her. "How critical is a person's life? One day you will trust me with the truth. I will tell you now what I told you then: reality is a figment of your imagination."

She blinked at him, shocked. "What?"

"Forget about your assumption of your surroundings and approach each day as if it is your real life. Would you consider a person's life critical if it were a normal day in your normal life?"

"Of course I would!"

"Then do so now."

"But—" That fully contradicted everything she thought she understood about the rules of this hell. Only one life per episode. Or was he saying that there was no guarantee that the life she thought she saved was actually saved, so she should keep trying? What had the demon-Doctor called it? A domino effect.

"Trust yourself, Lady Arianna. Trust your instincts." The Face of Boe deliberately used her title, though he doubted she noticed. She was too lost in thought. Yet it had been on purpose. Trying to tell her that things had already changed, but she knew that already. It was why she was so worried. Doubting herself. "If you were travelling with the Doctor, as if you truly were Rose Tyler, then how would you act? What would you do?" He made certain he said the full name 'Rose _Tyler_ ', since he knew the reasons she hated the name.

Ari didn't know what to think. Demon-Doctor said one thing. Jack said another. Or was that it? Was he demon-Jack? Trying to get her to break the rules? Extend her sentence? _Oh God, I'm going to drive myself crazy if I keep thinking like this!_ But what was the alternative? Pretend this  wasn't hell? How? It was pretty obvious.

Or…? Was it that simple? Not pretend it wasn't hell. Pretend she was Rose Tyler… with a few tweaks here and there to save people in the process. Like Jabe.

Ari grimaced as she realized that meant she should talk to Cassandra. But wasn't that why Rose had been caught by the sunfilter, now that she thought about it? Ari wouldn't be able to help Jabe if she did that. So how closely was she supposed to pretend to be Rose Tyler? _This isn't any less confusing than the first go 'round!_ She gave a great sigh. "You're no help at all Jack."

Her only reply was yet another mental chuckle, but it was more sad than amused.

She looked over, blinking out of her thoughts, when she heard Jabe's voice. _Speak of the devil…oh crap, what if Jabe is a demon too? Am I saving a demon? Are they all demons? What is the farden point to all this?!_

"—have infiltrated the whole of Platform One." Jabe said solemnly.

Cassandra asked, "How's that possible? Our private rooms are protected by a code wall. Moisturize me, moisturize me." Her two servants did as ordered while under the absolute glare of Arianna. Lady Cassandra noted the blonde's animosity with a narrow-eyed expression of her own before it smoothed away to keep up her act. "This whole event was sponsored by the Face of Boe! He invited us!" Cassandra called out as the Face of Boe shook his head inside his glass case. "Talk to the face! Talk to the face!"

Ari glared harder. "You stay away from him, you bitchy trampoline. I've been with him this entire time. He hasn't done anything!" As she had spoken, she had moved in front of the Face of Boe's tank so that her body was shielding him.

The Moxx of Balhoon tried to get somewhere with the line of questioning. "Summon the Steward!"

"I'm afraid the Steward is dead." Jabe said sadly.

"Who killed him?" the Moxx demanded.

The Doctor had seen Ari's movements. Her protective nature. For all she was angry (she had a very good right to be) and confused, she still made sure to protect those who couldn't do it themselves. He knew at least one reason why his counterpart trusted her so much. He shook off his thoughts as he refocused. "Easy way of finding out. Someone brought a little pet on board." He grasped the little metal spider, set it on the floor, and gently nudged it. "Let's send him back to Master."

The little bot scuttled along to Cassandra and looked up at her for a moment. Cassandra looked, but the spider moved on to the feet of the Adherents of the Repeated Meme.

Lady Cassandra's voice was accusatory as she called out, "The Adherents of the Repeated Mean. J'accuse!"

Ari had to give it to the woman. She really could act.

The Doctor's tone was nonchalant as he spoke. "That's all very well, and really kind of obvious, but if you stop and think about it..." One Adherent tried to strike him, but he caught its arm and ripped it off. The Doctor noted that Ari had taken a seemingly involuntary step toward him too. As if she could cross the distance so quickly to take the blow herself? Push him out of the way? Yet, she had caught herself and just watched instead. "A Repeated Meme is just an idea. And that's all they are. An idea." He ripped a wire out of the arm and all of the Adherents crumpled into a bundle of black cloaks.

Everyone gasped while Cassandra rolled her eyes. Ari just kept glaring, never taking her eyes off of the trampoline for more than a second or two.

The Doctor kept calm as he continued, "Remote controlled droids. Nice little cover for the _real_ troublemaker. Go on, Jimbo!" He nudged the spider gently with his foot. "Go home."

The spider ambled back over to Cassandra, looked up at her, and stayed in place this time. "I bet you were the school swot and never got kissed." Cassandra remarked bitterly toward the Doctor. "At arms!"

His hands went to his chest in mock fear. "What are you going to do, moisturize me?"

"With acid. Oh, too late anyway. My spiders have control of the mainframe. Oh, you all carried them as gifts, tax free, past every code wall. I'm not just as pretty face." Could the woman be more smug? _Probably…_

"Sabotaging a ship while you're still inside it? How stupid's that?"

"I'd hoped to manufacture a hostage situation with myself as one of the victims. The compensation would have been enormous." If one was to go by her tone, the woman was in love with just the idea of that much money.

The Doctor on the other hand was disgusted. "Five billion years and it still comes down to money."

Her tone turned sour. "Do you think it's cheap, looking like this? Flatness costs a fortune."

The Moxx of Balhoon finally decided to chime in again, "Arrest her!"

Cassandra was less than impressed. "Oh, shut it, pixie. I've still got my final option."

"Earth Death in 3 minutes."

"And here it comes! You're just as useful dead, all of you. I have shares in your rival companies and they'll triple in price as soon as you're dead. My spiders are primed and ready to destroy the safety systems." She sounded so utterly satisfied that Ari had the urge to smack her. Then the tone went darker and Ari _really_ had to fight her desire to punch the woman. "How did that old Earth song go? 'Burn, baby, burn.'" Of course, if Ari did punch the trampoline, she'd probably go right through the skin and end up killing her. _How is that a bad thing? It's not like she's the real Lady Cassandra…as if there_ _is_ _a 'real' Cassandra…_

Jabe was calm in the face of death and that made Astrid like her even more. She knew the insult had been unintentional. And Jabe had been so very kind in the beginning. "Then you'll burn with us." Ari renewed her resolve to save the woman.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I know the use of teleportation is strictly forbidden, but... I'm such a naughty thing. Spiders - activate."

There were a series of explosions all around the ship, rocking several beings off their feet. It knocked Ari into Jack's tank. "Sorry," she said out of habit.

Cassandra didn't even pause in her speech. "Force field's gone with the planet about to explode. At least it'll be quick. Just like my fifth husband." She giggled. "Oh, shame on me. Buh-bye, darlings! Buh-bye, my darlings..." Then she and her bodyguards blinked out of existence, presumably with the aid of a teleporter.

The computer came over the PA system again. "Heat levels rising."

The Moxx of Balhoon, just like many others, was getting a bit panicked. Unlike others, he kept his head enough to issue an order. "Reset the computer!" He knew enough about computers to know the next logical step.

Jabe gave a sympathetic look at the blonde, but also noted that she didn't appear harmed. They would definitely need to speak privately, after it was assured that everyone would survive the occasion. "Only the Steward would know how."

The Doctor was now angry. "No. We can do it by hand. There must be a system restore switch. Jabe, Ari, come on." The Doctor called out behind him, "You lot - just chill!"

Ari grabbed Jabe's arm as soon as she was close enough. "Stay here." She gazed at the woman, trying to indicate with her eyes—without coming out and actually saying anything specific—that it was too dangerous. "Trust me," she whispered.

Jabe blinked. Noting how serious the woman was, and slowly nodded. "Take care of him."

Ari nodded instantly. "You have your work cut out for you here."

"Earth Death in 2 minutes. Earth Death in 2 minutes." The computer helpfully reminded them how long they had until they were all cooked to death. _Charbroiled? Nope, blackened. I don't think I'll be able to eat Cajun after this…_

Ari caught up to the Doctor as he ran back through the maintenance corridor.

"Heat levels - critical. Heat levels - critical."

The Doctor and Ari reached the ventilation chamber. Ari stared in amazement. The show didn't give a good idea on exactly how huge the fan blades were. "Holy crap…" she whispered. A giant room in the interior of the ship with huge ventilation fans; the blades higher and wider than they were tall.

The Doctor's tone was sarcastic as he spotted the reset lever on the far wall. "Oh. And guess where the switch is?" Between the lever and them were three fans going reasonably fast.

"Heat levels - rising. Heat levels - rising."

"And again with the not-helpful computer adding a narrative edge to things." Ari growled.

The Doctor had spotted a lever beside them while she was speaking and pulled it down, grunting once with the effort, and the fans slowed down.

"External temperature - 5 thousand degrees."

However, as Ari had expected, as soon as the Doctor let go of the lever, the fans sped up again. As the Doctor looked hopelessly at the fans, Ari grabbed the lever herself, pulled it as far as she could, and held it there.

The Doctor stared at her, shocked. "You can't. The heat's going to vent through this place."

"What do you think happened before?" she groused at him. Which told him nothing and she hadn't lied. Just…let him draw his own conclusions. "If you'd hurry the hell up, I'd appreciate it though."

"Heat levels – rising. Heat levels – rising."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Still not helping!" she yelled at the ceiling. He took off his leather jacket and placed it around her shoulders. "It'll help protect you a little." Then he went back to the fan blades, intent creasing his forehead with concentration.

But when he just stood there, she yelled at him too. "Get going, Doctor!"

"Heat levels – hazardous. Heat levels – hazardous."

Oh yes, she could certainly feel it. "Time Lord, move your ass!" On the show, she had observed how he was probably unsure of himself. Perhaps it had been a long time since he'd done a trick like this. She watched as the Doctor dodged the first fan and ran underneath it. He looked anxiously up at the next one.

"Shields malfunctioning. Shields malfunctioning."

He stood before the second fan. He looked back at Ari who was starting to actively sweat and breathe heavily.

"Heat levels - critical. Heat levels - critical."

Arianna growled low in her throat. She knew the feel of heat stroke. "Doctor, if you don't get a damn move on, I'm going to take a pair of scissors to that stupid hair of yours!" she threatened. In her haze, she was envisioning chopping off the floppy hair of Eleven, not Nine. "Hurry the hell up!" She knew it was hell, but wasn't this taking things a bit too far? "Supposed to be hyperbole," she muttered, almost incoherent. Then she was silent completely as she focused on breathing through the stifling, unbearable heat.

She knew it was a really bad sign when she stopped sweating. She noted the badness and then the world got dark.

The last thing she remembered hearing was the Doctor's voice calling her name. Did he actually sound concerned? No, that couldn't be it. Demons wouldn't care about those they are punishing.

+++THE++NINTH++DOCTOR+++

The Doctor carried her limp form securely in his arms. She was wrapped tightly in his leather jumper. Her clothes and skin, where visible, were obviously charred. Third degree burns occurred at sixty degrees Celsius. It had been just under where her skin would have burst into spontaneous combustion. The poor woman was alive, barely, because of his jacket. He hadn't lied. It was designed and maintained by a Tardis. It had a significant amount of protection built into the material.

He carried her over to where Jabe, Lute, and Coffa stood. "Look after her," he ordered. If he had gone with his first instinct, it would have been Jabe with them in that tunnel. Wood went into combustion at 65C. The tree would have died; burned alive.

The very tree he contemplated stared at him with large eyes, filled with concern. "Are you alright?"

He nodded sharply. "Yeah, I'm fine." He growled as he thought. Ari had done this **twice** _ **!**_ "I'm full of ideas. I'm bristling with them." She'd known. Of course she'd known. Had done it anyway, even knowing what it would do to her. "Idea number one, teleportation through five thousand degrees needs some kind of feed. Idea number two, this feed must be hidden somewhere nearby." He grabbed the 'ostrich egg' and smashed it carelessly against the sharp edge of its pedestal.

Stardust! She'd tried to tell him in the beginning. Begging him not to make her. That people had died. "Idea number three, if you're as clever as me, then a teleportation feed can be reversed." His eyes went around the room at all the piles of ashes. All that remained of beings who weren't fast enough to escape the sun itself.

He glared at the—what had Ari called her? Oh yes, 'the bitchy trampoline'—as she reappeared. "People have died, Cassandra." He interrupted her speech of having him pass some test. He didn't have time. "You murdered them."

Cassandra's tone was belligerent. "It depends on your definition of people. And that's enough of a technicality to keep your lawyers dizzy for centuries. Take me to court then, Doctor," she was still smug! "and watch me smile and cry and flutter…"

"And creak?" he cut in, raising an eyebrow.

"And what?" Cassandra blinked at the interruption.

"Creak. You're creaking." He said flatly. Ari needed medical attention. The only reason she wasn't screaming in agony was that third degree burns cauterized nerve endings. She wasn't feeling anything.

"What? AH!" she let out a small scream as she realized what was happening. "I'm drying out! Oh, sweet heavens. Moisturize me, moisturize me!" When no one moved an inch, she yelled, "Where are my lovely boys?! It's too hot!"

The Doctor was having none of it. "You raised the temperature." He remembered the fear in Ari's eyes when she had begged him. The anger when he didn't move fast enough. He hadn't thought…hadn't realized…

"Have pity! Moisturize me!" Cassandra cried out in pain. "Oh, oh Doctor! I'm sorry! I'll do anything!" she screamed.

Jabe had walked up to his side by this point. She saw the condition of Lady Ari, the sweet woman who had been frightened and confused in her new setting. She understood how he felt. She understood his anger. His rage. But this was going too far. Perhaps if she could redirect his focus? "Help her," she said softly.

He looked down at her from his height. His eyes softened for a split second as he gazed at the caring woman, before the blue-gray orbs went up just slightly and he caught sight of Ari's blackened form in the arms of Lute. They became merciless. "Everything has its time and everything dies," he stated uncompromisingly.

"I'm. Too. Young!" Cassandra yelled each word before her thin skin could no longer take the heat and imploded.

The Doctor had only stayed that long to ensure that Cassandra couldn't get away with what she had done. As soon as that was a certainty, he moved swiftly.

Precise movements, not a single one wasted in time or energy—why couldn't he have done this when it would have meant less pain for Ari?!—as he gathered her back into his arms and made his way to his ship.

Jabe spared a moment to look at her brothers. They each knew their sister well enough to know what she asked and nodded their agreement. She smiled in thanks and hurried after the Doctor. "Please, can I help?"

"My key is in my front right pocket," he said by way of answer.

She nodded, being very careful to not touch Ari's form as she rummaged for the required item. As soon as she had it, she wasted no time herself in opening the door. Pausing to stare in amazement at the beautiful interior. "It's bigger on the inside!" she breathed out, eyes wide. It took her several seconds to realize that the Doctor, along with his precious burden, had disappeared down the only visible corridor. She hastened to follow.

The Doctor hadn't stopped at all. He'd barely even used a small second to kick the door closed with one foot, already on his way to the infirmary. His keen hearing caught the swish of movement as Jabe finally came after him. "Get the orange liquid from the fourth cabinet down, and the injector in the seventh drawer from the door." He instructed absently.

He knew what was wrong this time, so didn't bother with the ADIS. Instead, he just began to set up the nutrient bath.

It was a clear-sided cubicle set into a wall that could fill with liquid upon need. When one had so much needing healing, a nutrient bath was the best method he knew.

"Thank you," he said as he took the items from Jabe. It took less than two seconds to input into the controls what type of bath was necessary. Another second to load the injector.

He took a breath. It was time to pull her out of his jacket. "Jabe." He commanded.

"Of course." She settled instantly at his side. She saw the tank filling with a blue-green fluid and knew that the size was right for immersion. Nothing could go into a nutrient bath that wasn't part of the individual. Including clothing.

Working together, they cut the jacket from her form. It was the only way without hurting the poor girl further. "Will she-?" Jabe couldn't even finish her question. What she really wanted to know was how Time Lord medicine was advanced.

He sighed as they finally got Arianna into the nutrient bath set for intense burns. "It will take some time, but she will fully recover." She had done it once already, hadn't she? She'd be fine. Of course she'd be fine. So why was it that he was trying to convince himself more than Jabe?

"Without the jumper…?"

She would have died without his jacket, he knew. Humans were so much more fragile than Gallifreyans. He had a few burns himself, but they were first-degree. Likened to a strong sunburn, but nothing more. He sighed.

Jabe seemed to understand and sighed as well. "All this, and no one saw the end of the Earth. Too busy saving ourselves." Her tone was mournful. Her own ancestors had come from the Amazon rain forest. She had truly wanted to honor the death of such a great mother. "All of that history… No one was looking."

The Doctor's shoulders slumped at her words. "You think it'll last forever. People. Concrete. But it won't." He shook his head. "One day it's all gone. Even the sky." His voice took on a tinged edge to it, almost tears. "My planet's gone. Dead. Burned. Just like the Earth. Rocks and dust before its time."

Jabe nodded. She'd gotten a picture of Ari, but the Doctor had been by her side. The tree had been shocked at the identification. "I'm so sorry, Doctor."

"They're all gone." His voice whispered. "The only survivor. There's no one else."

She looked at him solemnly. Looked at the tank of blue-green liquid cradling a burned husk of another, a half mask obscuring her nose and mouth from view to provide breathable air in the mixture. "There's us," Jabe intoned softly. Her brown eyes met his own.

He tried to see how serious she was. "You've seen how dangerous it is. You're family is waiting for you. Do you want to go home?"

Jabe nodded, but not for the reasons he thought. "She saved my life, Doctor. Until I can repay that debt, or you'd rather I no longer, I'd like to stay."

The Doctor frowned at her words. Thinking of the implications. _Had_ this happened before? In the time that no one but Ari remembered, in the time that would no longer be?

Saving a life was not an unimportant detail. This was not something he could brush off. Ari had possibly done the unthinkable…

His eyes looked at the tank as he realized that, even if she had, she had done so with the full knowledge of the possible consequences. Stardust!

What was he supposed to do with her?

+++TO++BE++CONTINUED+++

 _finished rewrite as of 2-13-18_

 _I'll work between "Reckless" and "Blood Sings to Blood" as time, inspiration, and work allow._


End file.
